Kerala, God's Own Country, stands at the threshold of tourism success. Not only are its backwaters famed, but the lush forests of Silent Valley, the green hills of Munnar and the rich heritage sites add to the beauty of this magnificent natural wonder that was carved out by Parashuraman by myth. But, a certain aspect of Kerala that attracts tourists, historians and sociologists has been the rich tradition and diversity in its dance forms. Despite encompassing a small area compared to other Indian states, it has more dance forms and art representations. This richness and diversity in the art is a reflection of the importance that has been given by Malayalis to art and dance since time immemorial.

The only glitch has been the relatively low publicizing that has been attested to the majority of art forms of Kerala. Other than certain lucky ones like Kathakali, Mohiniyattam, Theyyam and Thiruvathirakali, most of the wonderfully designed and represented dance forms are less known by the outside world. Due to this misfortune, those unfortunate art forms are dying out as people do not give them their due importance of the past due to lesser commercial and scalability interests. It is within this sphere of ignorance and pre-conceived misconceptions of Kerala's art forms, that I would like to provide details of all the 64 major art forms of this wonderful land.

I would say 64 since this is the most exhaustive list of Kerala art forms that I found in the Thiruvithamkur Hill Palace, Ernakulam. There might be more art forms present out there and I am sure they are, but this is just an attempt to list down all. I have got 64 of them and If any of you visitors would like to suggest any other non-mentioned art forms or incorrect information, please do contact me .

Please remember that this is not an attempt to sustain as a travel cultural guide for tourists but is directed to all those who love Kerala and its culture. We need to revive them else a majority of the beautiful representations of our forefather's lives and customs would be washed away.

The 64 Art forms of Kerala are symbolic of the 64 chess places on a chessboard. Each art form is a different place providing us a different view of Malayali life, the land, its rivers, the customs and the traditions. Each dance form has its own place in the history of Kerala as it is the kaleidoscope of all the 64 dances that complete God's Own Country. The art forms are listed below in alphabetical order and not in other order of significance or richness. All art forms are equivocally significant to understand Malayali culture.

Each link of the specified art form would redirect you to a page that provides enough information to understand and contemplate the importance of the same. Each description presents pictures of the art form along with information of its history, content, style and place of importance.

If you do find any information irrelevant or incorrect, please feel free to just contact me. This is a voluntary and non-profit initiative with the aim of just creating awareness of the cultural richness of Kerala. Mistakes are bound to happen and please notify them for the common good. Suggestions are also welcome